ABSTRACT

SHARK FIN CONSUMPTION HAS BEEN A LONG-STANDING TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PRACTICE IN MACAO AND SOUTHERN CHINESE REGIONS, WHERE SHARK FIN SOUP IS OFTEN SERVED AS A HIGH STATUS SYMBOL AT BANQUETS AND FEASTS. THIS PRACTICE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNSUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF THE WILD SHARK POPULATIONS GLOBALLY. TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, A RANGE OF REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED. HOWEVER, THE MESSAGING APPEARS TO BE CHALLENGING IN EFFECTIVELY REACHING THE MACAO SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (SAR), ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST TRADING HUBS AND TOP CONSUMERS OF SHARK FINS. THIS STUDY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION, COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, AND FUTURE TRENDS OF ANTI-SHARK FIN AWARENESS EFFORTS IN THE MACAO SAR THROUGH A LITERATURE REVIEW ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARK CONSERVATION, HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SHARK FIN CONSUMPTION, SHARK CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN THE CHINA AND REGIONAL AREAS, AND INCLUDES A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH INVOLVING QUANTITATIVE SURVEYS AND QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS WAS EMPLOYED TO GAIN A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHENOMENON. IN ADDITION, THE STUDY WILL USE THE ANTI-SHARK FIN CAMPAIGN ""I'M FINISHED WITH FINS"" (「一翅都唔食」 IN CHINESE) AS A CASE STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FACED BY SIMILAR NGO GROUPS IN THE CONTEXT OF ADVOCACY COMMUNICATION IN MACAO SAR. THE STUDY PROVIDES VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO THE COMPLEXITIES OF TRANSFORMING LONG-STANDING TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL CONSUMPTION HABITS AND OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES AND POLICY INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE SHARK CONSERVATION IN THE REGION.